Onwards And Downwards - January 2023

[rowanwitch]

New year new resolutions, so I am restarting the old group. We can celebrate losses and offer support.
No one approach is better than any other here.... Do what works for you.

[rowanwitch]

Just looked up Saxenda, not likely to be for me, but interesting nonetheless. At the moment it's the activity that's the issue, and that seems to be one of the terms of being prescribed it. I might go back on orlistat though it's not that I have much fat in my diet normally but it's a great deterrent if I am tempted. Might also give hypnotherapy another try. It helped before. For me the biggest risk is getting into a target driven mindset, I had bulimia when I was younger and it's always lurking in the Background. The psychologist in the obesity management programme was helping me with it until the funding cuts.

[LadyCG]

I think the waiting list is about 2 years, Rowan, for surgery and you have to undergo a lot of investigations (USS abdomen, OGTT, Sleep studies, echocardiogram, etc), Psychology review, Dietitian review and you have to demonstrate weight loss on two successive clinic visits. It's a long old journey from A to B and surgery is the extreme option.

Wegovy would be the faster, less invasive option, or Saxenda if you were pre-diabetic or had another co-morbidity such as impaired glucose tolerance, severe sleep apnoea, personal or family history of IHD, etc.

However, different modalities suit different people.

[nicebloke1]

Why buy things you know you shouldn't ? Because we are not all perfect?

[LadyCG]

Sorry, cross posts.

My cousin was quite large for most of her life, but is slim now. She lost a lot of weight many years ago. She told me that when she was tempted to eat something she shouldn't she would imagine the person she hated more than anyone else in the world (her ex in this case) standing in front of her encouraging her to eat it. She would then imagine herself throwing that food at him and telling him to Foxtrot Oscar. :-)

[barry1010]

I am also very cold all the time, Helen.
I reversed my Type 2 diabetes but didn't give up carbs and still eat two portions of carbs a day (porridge every morning plus either pasta, rice, potatoes or bread), plus fruit and veg which can also contain carbs.

[rowanwitch]

As I said, not sure, it's so much a head thing with me, trying to balance what is effective against the obsession/dangerous behaviours. Would have tried Noom but it's so expensive.
I will be taking out a swim only membership at the leisure centre used to use the gym 3 days a week as well, physio said not right now, once the Ra is better managed I can go back.

[barry1010]

Bulimia is a real problem that makes managing food intake and exercise difficult, rowan. I feel for you.

[LadyCG]

I'm sure I read something also, some time ago, that suggested that it's not necessarily what you eat but the way or the order in which you eat it.

I.e. You have some sliced beef with some vegetables and a couple of slices of bread. If put the meat between the bread and eat it like a sandwich your blood sugars will spike and your body will release insulin (which is what causes weight gain). If you ate the meat first the protein would stabilise your blood sugars so that when you ate the bread a little bit later you would not release so much insulin and therefore you would not gain so much weight.

I can't remember the article I read because it was so long ago, but this is an interesting one:

https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2015/06/food-order-has-significant-impact-on-glucose-and-insulin-levels-louis-aronne#:~:text=Dr.,vegetables%20were%20eaten%20before%20carbohydrates.

[rowanwitch]

Yes it's a tightrope walk, and unfortunately I have fallen off it a few times to the point where I am not even supposed to have scales at home.... I have and I was told I shouldn't belong to slimming clubs as they tend to tap into the obsessive side of the problem. Really driven to be slimmer of the week etc, I am lucky though in that I love cooking and like a lot of the healthier foods Dave reckoned I would have a side salad with dessert.

[naomi24]

Very true, nicebloke.

[rowanwitch]

It's been channelled into the food combining\exclusion methods lots of plans out there. I will probably just put my proportions back to where they should be. Reduce carbs, control animal protein although I don't eat a great deal now but it tends to have more bad fats, and up the fruit,veggies and water.

[Redhelen72]

With bariatric patients we are told to eat in this order protein, veg/salad and then carbs. Carbs should always be last as you should be full and not need them - I just don’t bother putting them on my plate now.
Barry I have a heated throw on my sofa, electric blanket in my bed, heated shawl in my office and a hot water bottle never far away! It was lovely being in vegas and actually feeling warm but my husband laughed when I pulled a blanket out of my backpack by the pool because it was only 30 and I was cold in the shade!

[barry1010]

We are all different and what works for one won't work for another. I don't really believe it makes any difference when or how you eat your daily amount of food but if it helps people focus then that has to be a good thing.
I know how much I can eat, I know what foods I can eat but it has taken years of yoyo dieting and failed attempts.

[Redhelen72]

Barry in my case because of the op I have to follow certain rules

[rowanwitch]

I have done low carbing in the past and quite like some of the easier substitutions like cauliflower rice, I try to keep the carbs I do have as unrefined as possible. And While bread is a trigger food for me I switch to small wholemeal rolls because portion control is easier. Lunches tend to be the hardest, so it's soup making time, where did I put the lentils!

[barry1010]

Same as you, Helen. When I was obese I was always too hot and that was uncomfortable, too. I console myself that it is easier to be thin and make myself warm than be fat and cool down.
I do bursts of vigorous exercise to warm up.

[pastafreak]

The 'diet' I've followed for a number of years separates fats (animal foods) and carbs (the heavy ones such as bread, potatoes and rice). Above ground vegetables are allowed with either type of meal. 3 to 4 hours between different meals. I've always found that primarily fat meals work best for me, and carby foods just encourage cravings.

[barry1010]

I can understand you having to follow rules, Helen.

[naomi24]

Our dive doctor recommends a simple method. Fruit until 12 noon every day, no butter or cheese, and one day carbs, one day protein. So for example you can have a salad sandwich for lunch and a vegetable curry with rice and a naan bread for supper one day, and bacon and eggs for lunch and a big steak with vegetables for dinner the next. It allows for a varied diet with no weighing portions or calorie counting - and it works. You can basically eat what you like - except butter and cheese.

[Redhelen72]

OMG I would be lost without cheese and butter